545 Tasting Notes

Two yummy cups of Napal this afternoon. I think I’ve decided that I like the Napal better than the Ceylon among the Series 1 teas, with the Dragonwell being my favorite by far. Green teas used to be my least favorite before the tea thermometer.

Like yesterday, 1st steep while planning my day, 2nd steep while studying. I used a little less fresh leaves in my 2nd steep, about 1/4 tsp maybe, then yesterday’s Ceylon and found this worked quite well for perking up the flavor of a 2nd steep of black without making the tea bitter due to the longer steeping time (6 min today).

I enjoyed a cup of Orange Rooibos tonight while watching The Return to Cranford on PBS Masterpiece Classics. I am finding it a bit more lacking than Cranford, not sure why. I had seared scallops on grits with a sweet fennel broth at The Glass Onion for dinner. The Orange Rooibos with a bit of milk was my dessert. I was also really cold and couldn’t get warmed up.

2nd steep: 7 min. No milk. Not as strong. Still plenty of flavor.

Preparation

Somehow this has become one of my morning teas on those mornings when I drink tea. Several tealogs suggest this is better as an afternoon tea. I need to try it during the day (again – I think I did when I first had it). I like it in the morning cause it’s a simple tea to drink and not too strong. I steep with 30 sec less this time. Still good.

2nd steep: +1/2 tsp fresh leaves. 6 min.
I added a bit more fresh leaves this time thinking that it would increase the strength and let me decrease the steeping time, however even with the steeping time decreased by 2 min, the tea was a bit too strong. Next time 2nd steep will be less fresh leaves at 6 min.

I drank the 1st steep while reading online and getting organized for the day. The 2nd steep while studying.

Preparation

I’m drinking Dragonwell today, per last night’s tea randomizer recommendation – I didn’t end up having any tea last night. With my new ownership of a thermometer, I steeped this cup at the recommend 160 and surprise, all the yummy tea essence of before with absolutely none of the bitterness. I think I can safely come to the conclusion that I’ve been steeping my green teas in too hot water. The Dragonwell is now smoother, but the flavor seems stronger. Most enjoyable.

Mine looks like this. I got it from Target and I believe it was $10.49. I had thought I was brewing teas way too hot. It turns out that I was not brewing black and herbals and oolongs hot enough and that I was brewing greens too hot. I am finding it good to have and I can taste the difference that using more correct water temperatures makes. I didn’t think I’d be able to, not having the most advanced palate.

3rd steeping: 7 min 30 sec. 165° F.DFT recommend each resteeping of the leaves being another 2 min 30 sec longer. I upped the temp a bit too, trying not to get a weaken cup. I got a weaken cup. It was still good, I could taste the tea but it was also a bit watery. I remember this being the case last time I steeped this three times. So I doubt it’ll stand a forth steep.

I love smelling tea. Both the tea itself and the tea leaves. Sometimes I just sniff at it. It might be weird. But I bet other ‘steeps’ here do it.

This was a lovely, light, slightly dry cup. So good that I immediately started resteeping it. It’s steeping right now actually.

GreenTeaSteve pointed out that white tea actually has more caffeine that green after I lamented to him that I had a hankering for green tea but needed a pick me up and felt I should have a black instead.

Edited to say that Steve disproved himself with Google. Green tea does have more caffeine than white.

Preparation

I brought my second steeping of Rooibos Chai back to my desk to drink while I made of 1010 Challenge thread on LibraryThing. Alas, I’ve already consumed the whole thing while reading Tealogs here on my way there. The tea was steep for 9 min and drank without milk this time.

Preparation

After a lovely dinner of beef stroganoff and a glass of red wine whose name I can’t spell at the Glass Onion, I am having some tea at home for dessert. A bit of milk and sugar have made this Rooibos Chai a lovely drinking experience tonight. I plan to steep a second cup as soon as I’ve finished this one and feed my cats.

Preparation

This is a second steeping from a cup I had earlier this afternoon. I added about a 1/4 tsp of fresh leaves to see if it would make the steeping a bit stronger and steeped it for about 10 min. It’s still too hot to sip much into my mouth right now since I burned my mouth on too hot food yesterday, but I think the addition of fresh leaves helped. This tea is an enjoyable cup.

Preparation

The husband and I started this morning off with a cup of Napal each. A&D DFT Napal comes in a bold orangey-red and brown tin. The tea leaves range in colors from greeny-white-brown to light-yellowy-brown to medium reddish brown to a predominating deep brown. They smell musty strongly tea. The tea is a light-medium yellowy-amber. It smells warm and tea-y. The wet leaves smell a bit of smoke, sweet, and slightly spiced. This tea tastes more strongly than the Ceylon and has more depth of taste as well. I like it a bit more too. DFT is three for three for me. I plan on ordering Series 2 before it sells out. The husband quite like this tea too, saying it was damn fine and he could get used to drinking more tea (in his robe on a rainy morning). The second steeping was weaker but still flavorfully drinkable. I do not think it would take a third steeping.

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I’m 33 years old, studying pharmacy, and have a surly cat named Bin. I love tea, coffee, beer, wine, and most things food and beverage related. I also love music, movies, reading, writing, and learning new things.

I’ve drank tea all my life but about five to six years ago, my close friend Spautz got into tea and got me more into tea. I drink black teas and tisanes/herbals most. Since receiving a variable temperature kettle from my parents for Xmas this past year, I’ve been drinking more greens, oolongs, and whites. I’m very very new to puerh. That is, I’ve had only one.